Mission (sorta) Accomplished: Shocking Barack Tour ends [w/VIDEO]

After retracing the Detroit-to-DC bailout-begging route taken earlier this year by auto execs, two intrepid souls dispatched by electric motorcycle maker Brammo have finally successfully accomplished their "Shocking Barack" mission. Sort of. While the dream of personally presenting the POTUS on the White House lawn with a slightly used Enertia powercycle bearing a lovingly-painted "Yes We Can" motto and an American flag may have fallen somewhat short, the pair has opted for a plan
While driving hundreds of miles through rain, cold and dark of early evening, the two have encountered a veritable legion of souls in the many towns they have quietly entered. They have presented their story personally to these folks while asking for a socket to plug into or a couch to sleep on, while at the same time reaching thousands more with a constant barrage of tweets and steady flow of YouTube videos. They have changed the mind of a committed Harley owner and have even had Brammo CEO Craig Bramscher invited to a meeting in the White House (with other captains of industry) where he got to give a short spiel in the presence of the Secretary of Energy, Stephen Chu. Though whether or not Barack will be shocked, as it were, is still undetermined, we invite you to hit the jump to watch video of their last ditch attempt and read the text of the letter to the Prez.
[Source: Shocking Barack]
LETTER:
Dear President Obama,
We thought with everyone always asking you for stuuf, it would be a nice surprise if somebody actually gave you something instead. So we tried really hard to present you an electric motorcycle called the Brammo Enertia, made in Ashland, Oregon. It's proof that America can still innovate. Also, it's really fun. And since you work so hard, we thought it might be nice for you to have fun once in a while.
Anyway, we rode one out to Washington for you, but since your schedule is so hectic, and since you're the President, we never had a chance to give it to you. But we've locked the bike near the corner of [location redacted] in downtown Washington.
Enclosed please find two keys, one for the padlock and one for the ignition. Hopefully you [sic] find your way to the bike, or vice versa.
Sincerely Dave Schiff & Brian Wismann
The Shocking Barack guys
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Hans Wurst 8:27PM (10/30/2009)
fyyff!
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Nick From Montreal 9:05PM (10/30/2009)
This was a brilliant idea. No matter how it ended, it's cool. They should do this twice a year: just send a couple of "evangelists" across the country and convert a few people.
I also hope they produce the sport bike tat won 3rd place at TTXGP this summer. That's the est looking Bramo bike ever.
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MINI 411 6:40AM (10/31/2009)
Great accomplishment. Thanks for making it happen!
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nrb 10:20AM (10/31/2009)
Quite honestly, it was lame.
How long did it take them to go what kind of distance? What for? Some youtube videos?
By the time I post this, the bike has been stolen.
Before you flame me, I think bikes are a good launching point for EVs and I wish these guys the best. This stunt just wasn't all that well contrived.
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OpenMinded Patriot 10:45PM (11/02/2009)
If we are not only reading about it here - but even commenting on it here, then it was very well contrived indeed. Free (cheap) publicity is never ill advised.
TomEV 10:40AM (10/31/2009)
Original idea.
Great work guys! I really hope someone from Barack Obama's staff ends up picking it up. It would be waste of a great bike if not.
Good luck!
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maric12 11:43AM (10/31/2009)
Loved following the adventure and writing about it, too. But, leaving a present for the prez might not have been such a great idea. My experience with the military tells me the secret service will be all over that bike; and they'll probably be contacting the Brammo boys about their "suspicious" package! Now, you'll get their attention.
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john 11:36PM (10/31/2009)
It's a pity they didn't succeed in delivering it to the white house. Too bad the president couldn't give these guys 5 minutes of his time. But it sounds like the trip was still a big success, as they raised awareness of electric motorcycles and got some good cheap publicity for Brammo. If I was working at the advertising department over at Brammo, I'd likely consider the time and money very well spent.
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